This unique guide will enable students, librarians, teachers, and general readers to easily identify the best biographies and autobiographies of 500 of the most notable women in American history. Spanning from colonial America through 1998, the guide features entries on historical and contemporary women who have achieved recognition in more than 100 fields of endeavor. It annotates approximately 1350 recommended books published since 1970 about these women. The compilation of works selected here is unavailable in any other reference.



Adamson, author of the acclaimed companion volume Notable Women in World History: A Guide to Recommended Biographies and Autobiographies, provides the most up-to-date information on each woman's life, biographies, and autobiographies. Each entry contains a brief biographical sketch of the woman and an annotated list of up to five recommended biographies, autobiographies, letter collections, or journals concerning her life. Three appendixes listing the women according to year of birth, occupation, and ethnicity will help researchers easily locate women from specific time periods, professions, or ethnic backgrounds.